A Visit to the House on Jackson Street ....... October 4, 2023

Photograph taken by Lester Hayes in 1907. From the King Album.

 

The exterior of the Jackson Street home. Pictures taken October 4, 2023 by Patti Alden.

   Way back on August 15, 2021 I posted several pictures of a home that my Great Great Grandfather Charles J. King built in San Francisco in 1907.  The photographs were in a family album embossed with the name Mrs. C.J. King.  You can read about the journey to find the home and its location by clicking the link Jackson Street House on the right.  Since then I have been in contact with the new owner of the home off and on, waiting for an exterior renovation to be completed so that we could visit the home in person.  That day came in early October of this year! The weather was a beautiful 84 degrees in San Francisco and the sun was shining.  It was a great day for a quick trip to the coast. 

   

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge!

     A  little visual history first.....

The home in 1907 during the initial construction.  You can see the three stories with the top window framed in and the large bay window underneath that had been started.  The home was built as two separate family dwellings with access to the top two stories via a staircase that ran up the right side of the home. 

A 2021 Google Image.  At an unknown date the exterior of the home was simplified and many decorative details were left off after a thick layer of stucco was added.  A garage was also added underneath the bottom story some time ago when the street levels were lowered. 

   The Jackson Street House after exterior renovations by the current owners.  Note the exterior lighting and new landscaping.  It has a fresh, modern look that is well balanced with the addition of molding that mimics the original. The roof railing at the top was not added back as a part of the renovation, primarily due to the additional cost. The next door neighbors look like they are in the middle of exterior renovations also. Shared by the owner September of 2022.

  The home on the left was there when C.J. King built this home. 

 

 You can see the back portion of the home. 

    The beautiful bay windows. They are exquisite!

Looking up! The smooth texture of the stucco gives the home a modern look.  This looks very similar to the finish that was on the original home. 

The staircase and stairwell leading up to the top floor apartment.  There is also access to the second story apartment from here. The owners also added a small elevator to the home.  The first floor apartment is accessed by the second front door, and is currently being  rented out and was not available to look at. 

A closeup of the lattice on the landing. The owner believes it is original to the home.

I had shared a digital copy of our original photograph with the owner several months ago.  Their print is proudly displayed at the top of the stairs to tell the story of the home. 

The owner of the home led us up to her top story apartment and balcony.  This is the view from the balcony.  We have driven over the Golden Gate Bridge many, many times not even knowing that we could see this house from there!

Mom (Margaret) enjoying the view from the top floor balcony. Of course, her Great Grandfather would not have had this view of the bridge as it wasn't completed until 1937. Solar panels were a thing of the future too!  The owners installed solar panels on this home, and drive an electric car that is charged with the electricity generated by the solar panels.  As an engineer, I think Charles would find it all very fascinating!

An interior archway in the upstairs apartment.  At the time the home was built, the family servant may have lived up here.  The space has since been renovated with an updated kitchen, bath and laundry area  as well as extra living space extending out onto a new balcony.  You can still find original details here and there!

A close up of the archway molding detail. 

The curved vestibule leading to two similar bedrooms.  The floor is original. 

 Closeups of the floor and curving floor molding.  

Detail of the hallway molding....

Original windows in the small  hallway leading to the back portion of the apartment. There was lots of storage space in this section of the top story, and may have been where the household helpers kept the family linens or other items.  There is now a large updated bathroom at the end of this walk thru that serves as the master bathroom.  

Down on the second level is the owner's son's apartment and living quarters.  We were able to take a peak at some of the original elements in the rooms.  This room may have been a dining room at one point, but has been remade as a master bedroom.  The ceiling molding is absolutely beautiful!

Close up of the beautiful plaster work.

Mom (Margaret) admiring the plaster work ceiling molding in this bedroom.  

   Before we left, the owner showed us down to the basement/ garage area (we used the elevator!) and showed us where the little Airbnb apartment was in the back (yes, you can rent it out!!).  It was an amazing tour and we were so appreciative of the time she took to show us around her home and share her family's story.  She and her family have kept the look and feel of the original home while adding modern updates as most older homes in the area have done.  They have been a part of  preserving the valuable history of this beautiful city.  We certainly felt a tangible and physical connection to the past in this home, and a connection to Charles King especially.  He was known as a master carpenter and woodworker and we could see the craftsmanship and attention to detail in this home.   I am so thankful that his work has been preserved for many more generations to come. 

Margaret (Hansen) Boothby, Stephanie (Boothby) Efstratis, Patti (Boothby) Alden October 4 2023.

Jackson Street House, front steps. 

Heading home across the Golden Gate Bridge......

  Relationship Reference:  Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Margaret Elizabeth Hayes Hansen->Emma King Hayes Van Duzer->Charles and Anna King from St. Austell, Cornwall, England. 

The Hurd Burrows Cradle Finds a Home at the Grass Valley Museum (and Other Business Taken Care Of) ......

Our visit to the Grass Valley Museum, August 25, 2023.  Pictured are Patti (Boothby) Alden, Margaret (Hansen) Boothby, Stephanie (Boothby) Efstratis.  Picture taken by BettejeanS.  

  I am happy to report that another genealogy project on my "to do" list was checked off several weeks ago!  My Mom, sister and I visited the wonderful staff at the Grass Valley Museum located at the St. Joseph's Cultural Center on May 25, 2023 and made two donations to share with the community.

 

  Back in May a picture surfaced that was found in the archives at the Grass Valley Museum; it was posted on a local Facebook site and I immediately recognized it as we had a photograph just like it that was in our Hansen family picture collection.  I wrote about what discoveries were made that explained the picture on May 6, 2023 (John Hartwig Hansen and the Last Days of Pompeii...May 1900).  The museum reached out to me and asked for help to restore the badly damaged picture they had; I ended up having our copy  digitally saved and then reproduced at a local stationery business.  The nice young man (with a man-bun) that helped me was very intrigued by the picture and the story that went with it and we had a  great conversation about my Great Grandfather John Hansen.  It's always nice to share family history with strangers!  And I was glad to help the museum out.  They will frame the copy to present to the public. 

The museum copy above, our copy below. 

Pictured: Patti (Boothby)Alden, Margaret (Hansen) Boothby and Stephanie (Boothby) Efstratis.  Photograph by BettejeanS.  August 25, 2023.  Grass Valley Museum.

  Our next donation was something a little larger....

   Back (way back) on January 2, 2021, I posted about the Hurd cradle and the story of my great great grandmother Elizabeth Jane Hurd's trip with her family from Pennsylvania to Nevada City, California in 1851.   Elizabeth Jane took  one more trip back to Pennsylvania with her family before she came out west for the last time, settling in Grass Valley around 1875.  She  married Alexander Burrows and he taught school  "on the ridge" (North San Juan) before becoming a lawyer.  It is believed that this cradle was made in either North San Juan or French Corral per family stories.  Initially I thought it may have been used by Elizabeth Jane's mother, Harriet Hurd, which is entirely possible as she had 5 children born in Nevada City from 1857 to 1869,  but after researching and comparing dates I believe it was made  for the Burrow's children beginning in 1875 when Alexander was teaching.  (January 2, 2021 Gold Country Stories Unverified Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows Surviving Panama)

  The cradle had been kept in a crawl space at the home of my great grandmother Vere Burrows Hansen on West Main Street, probably since her mother Elizabeth Jane moved from Grass Valley to the Bay Area after 1900.  It quite possibly was used for Vere and Jack Hansen's  children Hulda,  Jack, Robley and Harold.  

  After WWII my Uncle Jack lived with "Grandma Hansen" at 418 West Main Street until she passed away in 1974 and he continued to live there until his death in 1986.  Mom (Margaret) began to clear some items out of  the home in the late 70's  and the cradle was rediscovered. It was identified by her father, Harold Hansen as the family cradle.   Also found was the little handmade black child's rocker (happily now in the possession of JackF.)  and a black valise belonging to Alexander Burrows (now in my possession). 

  The cradle has been at Mom's home on Banner Mountain since then.  I do remember using it in my bedroom to hold all my dolls and stuffed animals for a few years.  I was just a geeky kid interested in antiques and pioneer history and the cradle fit the bill.  It went with the Victorian iron bed and antique dresser in my room. After I moved out the cradle got moved to the laundry room and held all sorts of odds and ends (and dust) for years. I declined to use it for my children when visiting, as it was "not up to code". I wish I had known its history at the time! 

  In the process of writing down our family stories over the last few years I began to make connections to objects that I had grown up with.  This cradle was one such object.  The only history passed  on was that it was made in either North San Juan or French Corral and was the family cradle.   As I went further back on the family tree I became fascinated with the story of Elizabeth Jane and her life; fleshing her story out with research, pictures, newspaper articles, timelines and DNA matches became an obsession for about a year.  Her daughter Vere had literally kept everything and thankfully took lots of photographs.  My Auntie Claire lovingly began to organize these items as they were handed down to her, and then they eventually came to reside at my house where I continued piecing together this part of our family history. Things were coming into focus. The cradle had a history.  

  I began researching in earnest during the pandemic.  This is what I discovered about my Great Great Grandmother and her connection to the cradle....

      Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows led a remarkable, complicated life.  She lived during a time of  intense change in the country; she traveled from one end of the United States (Pennsylvania) to the "west" not once, but twice,  lived in the newly formed town of  Nevada City, California as well as the newly formed town of Virginia City, Nevada during the gold and silver rushes, waited as an Uncle fought in the Civil War,  earned the right to practice law as one of the few women to do so in California in the mid 1800's, had a total of twelve children (all born in Grass Valley, Ca.),  experienced the deaths of 6 children as well as the institutionalization of one son, divorced her husband and continued to provide help and support to her remaining family as she aged.  

   In my blog post from November 8, 2020 (The Life Story of Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows) I go over my research on her life. If you are interested in what living in Grass Valley and Virginia City was like at the turn of the century, I added many articles from The Morning Union which were valuable sources of information and helped flesh out her early life raising her children in a small town.  I was also fortunate to gain access to the following pictures of a young E.J. as I did not have these in our family collection. 

Elizabeth "Lizzy" Jane Hurd taken around the 1870's.

Picture shared by MimiS on Ancestry.com

    

 Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows 

Picture taken in Virginia City probably at the time of her mother's death in 1893. 

Shared by the William Nankervis Archive on Ancestry.com

Alexander Burrows (picture taken sometime in the late 1880's in Grass Valley, California).  Original in our family archives. 

  My post from July 26, 2020 (A Hurd of Burrows) details the lives of  Elizabeth Jane and Alexander Burrows' children.  There were twelve of them! 

  I think E.J. became the strong woman she was from watching her mother Harriet traverse the country twice, endure her husband's death in the Ophir Mine in 1876, forge ahead as a widow with 7 children under the age of 18 and continue to live in the community of Virginia City until her death.  Several of E.J.'s sisters became teachers at the Fourth Ward School to help support the family after their father's death.  There was a strong emphasis put on education in that family, especially for the girls. It was fun to discover how many teachers we have had in our family and how we continue to put a high emphasis on education. Elizabeth Jane's daughter, Vere Hansen, put a high priority on education; she did sign for my Mom's first library card which Mom took great advantage of by reading as many books as she could.  I did not know that residents outside of the city limits were not able to obtain a library card unless someone inside the city limits signed for them in the 40's. I'm sure that has changed by now!   Mom became a teacher, as did  her sister and myself.  I think Harriet and Elizabeth Jane would be proud of their legacy.   

  Why did we decide to donate the cradle?  Once I discovered its history and context, it was an object that became important. Yes, we had some memories of it, but it wasn't something that was treasured per se.  It was big, bulky, and it collected dust and SPD grocery bags.  No other family member wanted it in their home!  But looking at the hand hewn boards and square nails, you could almost imagine someone lovingly piecing it together to give to a new family.  There was a bigger picture and story to tell.   It was made in Nevada County by an unknown craftsman when many new families, including the Burrows,  were making this area their home.  We realized its history was woven in with our local history and we felt it should stay in the area and be shared with the community.  To me, its legacy represents family, resiliency, building of community, and gives all of us a unique sense of place. 

  Grass Valley was a town that grew together as a community in the 1800's; it grew together from many different cultures, languages, traditions and religious backgrounds. It was primarily a working town from the miners to small business owners and to people who provided needed services such as Alexander Burrows who became a prominent lawyer and eventually Grass Valley Attorney.  But it also grew as a community by the very hard work of many mothers who raised their children and kept their homes while serving in the church or doing other important service work in the community.  I think the cradle represents those mothers whose work and influence was just as important, or maybe even more important.  What do you think?  

  Grass Valley continues to be a strong knit community.  While mining is no longer the primary economic driver it is still a community of small business owners, service providers and now artists, thinkers and creators.  It is a community I love coming back to visit often. 

  I would like to thank all the staff at the Grass Valley Museum for working with us and letting us share our wonderful family history with the community.  Because now it is the community's history! 

Margaret (Hansen) Boothby on the left sharing stories of Grass Valley with the staff.  Picture by Patti Alden August 25, 2023. 

August 25, 2023 Grass Valley Museum. It was such a fun afternoon!  Thank you all. 

Picture by BettejeanS. 

  Relationship Reference: Me->Margaret->Harold Hansen->Vere Burrows Hansen->Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows

Our Bowers Mansion Visit 2023....In Search of Valuable Heirlooms......

  Bowers Mansion, New Washoe City, Nevada

June 30, 2023

Photograph by Amy Bridges

      I've had a genealogy "to do" list for quite some time, as most avid family researchers do.  Visiting Bowers Mansion has been on my list for several years and due to Covid and various other reasons I haven't taken the time to make the 40 mile trip down the road to accomplish my goal.  It was finally  time to plan my visit.  I'm so glad I was able to share this trip with my daughter and her husband at the end of June this year!  What were we looking for?  Valuable family heirlooms, of course! 

  In a very previous post from February 19th, 2021, I told the story of how our Hurd relatives donated some items to Bowers Mansion (The Hurd Family: Valuable Heirlooms Donated to Bowers Mansion 19 Feb 2021).  At that time (1949) the community was asked to donate family heirlooms to the mansion as they began to restore it back to its former glory.  Miss Gloria Mapes  herself was president of the furnishing committee.  Over 500 people donated items, including Annie Hurd Smith, Edith Hurd (my Great Great Aunts)  and Alta Powers (daughter of Hattie Hurd Powers, another Great Great Aunt). 

  Earlier that month I had contacted the curator of Bowers Mansion, Tammy Buzick.  She knew right away what family I was talking about and even knew where one item was (in the upstairs Porters closet)!  She had a file somewhere on her desk....and what day would be good to come visit? My daughter Amy and her husband David were going to be in town for a summer visit, so we all decided to go on the search together. 

  What exactly were we searching for?  This is an excerpt from the Nevada State Journal article, 7 March, 1951, listing the items.  

  Piano Cover

  "Now, on the piano in the Bowers Mansion is the piano cover that covered the Steinway piano sent around Cape Horn to James Fair, one of the 'Big Four' of those early days. This is a gift of Alta Powers, of Oakland."

  "It is a large cover, 6x7 feet, of beautiful tapestry. Its colors are blue and tan, and completely around the cover is a deep fringe. The piano was purchased by Robert Meacham, the only coal and wood dealer in Virginia City at that time, and by him given to Alta Powers, his granddaughter, a daughter of Mrs. Ina Powers Sample, of Pasadena, California. (Correction:  Ina was Alta's older sister, not her mother). Mrs. Sample died a few years ago, and the piano was disposed of, but Alta Powers kept the piano cover, which is now the property of Bowers Mansion."

Other Gifts

  "From Mrs. Annie Hurd Smith and Miss Edith Hurd, the mansion received some exquisite pillow slips, bordered in crocheted lace seven inches wide, with insertions set between clusters of hand run tucks.  At the same time Miss Hurd and Mrs.  Smith gave Bowers Mansion some pillow shams, less ornate, embroidered in turkey red thread, and some splashers, fringed and embroidered in turkey red hem are handmade, indicating that the women of that day had much time to spend on work of this kind."

  "But probably the most valued gift received from the members of the Hurd family was one of the original bedsteads that was purchased for the mansion by Eilley and Sandy Bowers, bought from them by Robert Meacham and in turn turned over to the Hurd family. The chair, table and bureau of the early days that were part of the bedroom suite are in Pasadena, but the original bed has never left Nevada, and in the spring will be placed in a suitable room in Bowers Mansion."

  Now those were wonderful descriptions! We could not wait to see these valuable heirlooms.   Here's what we actually found.....

   

 This is a signed slip giving Washoe County entitlement to Edith Hurd's personal property, namely "One pair lace trimmed pillow slips, One other lace trimmed pillow slips, Two outlined "Splashers" and One pillow sham". 

 

Mrs. Hattie Powers donated the Walnut Bed Stead.  Notice the ? after the entry.....

  Miss Alta Powers donated the Tapestry Piano cover.  Notice the ? after the hand written entry....

  Unfortunately, and rather disappointingly, the walnut bedstead, the piano cover  and the pillow cases/sham were not found during an inventory done in 1971.  Tammy explained that some items were sold off at one point, and that things like piano covers and pillow cases and pillow shams did not have a long life and were probably discarded at some point before 1971.  The only items left were the splashers.  At least we still had those!

    

The splashers could be found in the North Porter closet in 1970 and were located in the dining room in 1972.  As of 2023, they were back in the closet.  Tammy knew right where they were and gingerly took them out of their container; she then generously displayed them for us.  Here they are...

 Close up detail of the embroidery and crochet work.  They are in remarkable condition still....

These are embroidered in Turkey Red thread which was a bit more expensive than regular thread, and was colorfast.  Red work was all the rage beginning in the 1880's. Embroidered splashers were hung behind the sink or on wash stands to protect the walls.  http://www.womenfolk.com/quilting_history/redwork.htm

  I wonder if these were ever used?

  Mom (Margaret Hansen Boothby) still does red work embroidery and uses it in her exquisite quilts.  These splashers reminded me of the work that Mom does.  I was surprised to learn how long this beautiful craft has been in existence!  And how it has continued in our family after many, many years.  That was a pretty special connection.

 

  Finding these treasures made the trip worthwhile, even though the "big" items were no longer at the mansion. I had my heart set on seeing that bedstead and piano cover.  But,  just looking at the embroidery and crochet work brought me that much closer to knowing my relatives and learning about this  part of their lives.  They probably had  embroidery and crochet projects going for years....all those pillow cases and pillow shams, towels, dresser scarves , napkins, chair covers...... I could visualize one of the Hurd girls sitting by a lamp or window working on this particular project, thimble on one finger and needle and thread going through the linen over and over.  I have fond memories of learning embroidery from my Nana (Emma King Hayes VanDuzer) and working on my own pillowcase projects.  And, there is nothing like seeing tangible objects from a family member's life that tell a unique story.  Priceless. 

  Tammy was done showing us our "valuable" heirlooms.  She has worked as the curator at the historic mansion for 14 plus years and is very knowledgeable about the contents of the museum as well as the Bowers family that lived there long ago.  She is also very passionate about her work and was so excited to show "donor" members (that's us!) the beautiful home.  We got an almost private tour, as there was one other couple there to see the mansion that morning.  They were as impressed with the splashers as we were! If you get a chance to visit the mansion (located in Bowers Mansion Regional Park) there is a great tour filled with lots of history of the Comstock.  I feel so privileged to be a part of that history and of being able to pass it on.  And I'm glad Amy and David came along.  We extended our trip to Virginia City (home of the Hurd girls) and toured the Fourth Ward School once again, searching for some of David's family Comstock history this time.  It was a great day of discoveries and  of spending time together as a family. 

  I would still love to know what happened to that bed!

These pictures were taken by Amy Bridges and Patti Alden June 30, 2023

 This is a walnut bedstead in one of the bedrooms.  It must have been similar to the one from the Hurd family.  

 This is an older photograph of the mansion when it had a third floor, which removed during the restoration. 

 This is a framed map of the V & T Railroad when it went passed the mansion, taking passengers from Reno or Virginia City or Carson City to Washoe Valley for a day trip.  

 The view from the second story hall overlooking Washoe Valley. 

 The fountain on the front lawn. 

 PattiA., AmyB. DavidB. June 30, 2023

Relationship Reference:  Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Harold Hansen->Vere Burrows Hansen->Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows.  

The "Three Hurd Girls" were Elizabeth Jane's younger sisters.  Her sister Hattie Hurd Powers was the mother of Ina and Alta Powers. 

Here is the article in its entirety as it appeared in the Nevada State Journal, March 7, 1951

Original Bedstead, Other Valuables Given To Bowers By Hurd Family

 "Last week, Mrs. B.R Addenbrooke, curator of the Bowers Mansion, received some precious heirlooms that were part of the mansion's original furniture." 

  "They were gifts of the 'three Hurd girls', two of whom are living today in Reno.  Mrs. Annie Hurd Smith and Miss Edith Hurd, two of the well known 'three Hurd girls' in Virginia City in the heyday of the Comstock, live at 120 Stevenson St. in Reno.  Unfortunately many of the pictures of those historic days which the sisters had were destroyed in the flood last winter."  (The Thanksgiving Flood of 1950)

  Piano Cover

  "Now, on the piano in the Bowers Mansion is the piano cover that covered the Steinway piano sent around Cape Horn to James Fair, one of the 'Big Four' of those early days. This is a gift of Alta Powers, of Oakland."

  "It is a large cover, 6x7 feet, of beautiful tapestry. Its colors are blue and tan, and completely around the cover is a deep fringe. The piano was purchased by Robert Meacham, the only coal and wood dealer in Virginia City at that time, and by him given to Alta Powers, his granddaughter, a daughter of Mrs. Ina Powers Sample, of Pasadena, California. (Correction:  Ina was Alta's older sister, not her mother). Mrs. Sample died a few years ago, and the piano was disposed of, but Alta Powers kept the piano cover, which is now the property of Bowers Mansion."

Other Gifts

  "From Mrs. Annie Hurd Smith and Miss Edith Hurd, the mansion received some exquisite pillow slips, bordered in crocheted lace seven inches wide, with insertions set between clusters of hand run tucks.  At the same time Miss Hurd and Mrs.  Smith gave Bowers Mansion some pillow shams, less ornate, embroidered in turkey red thread, and some splashers, fringed and embroidered in turkey red hem are handmade, indicating that the women of that day had much time to spend on work of this kind."

  "But probably the most valued gift received from the members of the Hurd family was one of the original bedsteads that was purchased for the mansion by Eilley and Sandy Bowers, bought from them by Robert Meacham and in turn turned over to the Hurd family. The chair, table and bureau of the early days that were part of the bedroom suite are in Pasadena, but the original bed has never left Nevada, and in the spring will be placed in a suitable room in Bowers Mansion."

 Former Teacher

  "Edith Hurd, who came from Pennsylvania to Virginia City when she was six months old, knew the 'Big Four' of that era very well.  She taught school later in Virginia City.  Her father, William Hurd, was a mining engineer in Virginia City and her brother, John H. Hurd, ran a hoist in the old C and C Mine."

  "The 'Three Hurd Girls' are the survivors of a family of 11.  Their father, William Hurd was killed in an accident in Virginia City.  Mrs. Hattie Hurd Powers was one of the three sisters and Alta Powers is her daughter."

  "Both Miss Gloria Mapes, president of the furnishing committee, and Mrs. Addenbrooke, curator of Bowers Mansion, were very happy yesterday when they got the history of the old bedstead, one of the original pieces of furniture in the mansion.  The response of the 'old timers' who wish to see the mansion restored to its original splendor has been remarkable, and the work of completing the job has been speeded up through the cooperation of many to whom the early day history of Nevada has become highly important."